Agenda item

The Overview and Scrutiny Panel had conducted an investigation into some sewage spillage incidents that had taken place on some of the districts beaches. The Panel produced a number of recommendations for consideration by Cabinet.

Councillor Driver and Councillor Moores spoke under Council Procedure Rule 24.1.

Councillor Poole proposed, Councillor C. Hart seconded and Members agreed the findings and subsequent recommendations of the Overview & Scrutiny Panel with an amendment for recommendation 16 as detailed below:

A.  AGREED RECOMMENDATIONS TO THANET DISTRICT COUNCIL, SOUTHERN WATER AND ENVIRONMENT AGENCY

1.  Communication: - Thanet District Council, Southern Water and Environment Agency should meet quarterly to look at the emergency response arrangements and ensure that these arrangements are appropriate and up to date;

2.  In the event of an emergency, with regards to the initial contact between Thanet District Council and Southern Water; there should be confirmation of any communication between the agencies; so that if a telephone message is left, the call should be returned and if an email is sent, it should be replied to;

3.  There was a need to produce and adopt a Contingency Plan for the closure of Thanet Beaches which should be based on the best practice framework model for the South East Region to be developed by the Environment Agency;

B.  AGREED RECOMMENDATIONS TO THANET DISTRICT COUNCIL

4.  Compensation: - To lobby local MPs to amend the legislation that governs the water industry (particularly the sewer management sub-sector) so that in cases whereby flooding caused by the overwhelming of sewer systems it becomes the responsibility of water companies;

5.  Thanet District Council should be responsible for signage and dissemination of information during emergencies;

6.  Generic large signage boards (AO size) should be in store; ready to be deployed at strategic points of public access only to the beaches affected by the emergency event. The response to emergencies should be measured and appropriate and ensure that beaches not affected are not closed;

7.  Social media (to include face book, twitter and local radio stations) should be used to alert the public about the contamination on the beaches;

8.  After the beaches have been cleaned, signage should be put up to let visitors and the public know that the beaches are now clean and open. Appropriate signage, including social media should be used to advertise that the beaches have been cleaned and are safe;

9.  To lobby local MPs to amend the legislation that governs the funding of the Environment Agency to enable them to carry out random sampling of bathing water on beaches during the off season (in winter);

10. To lobby Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to provide extra funding for off-season sampling of bathing water on beaches;

C.  AGREED RECOMMENDATIONS TO SOUTHERN WATER

11. The response time between alarm action and the physical presence of staff to an emergency site should be 20 minutes and Monitoring CCTV facility should be installed at strategic points at Foreness Point Pumping Station in order to enable early response to emergencies;

12. After a prolonged period of drought, there should be more frequent jet washing of the sewer system particularly along known pinch points;

13. Southern Water communication/compensation procedures should be more responsive and more sympathetic discretion should be used to compensate residents whose properties are affected by sewage flooding;

14. In the event of future emergencies, an ad hoc ‘Incident Dedicated Contact Point’ for customers should be set up;

D.  AGREED RECOMMENDATIONS TO ENVIRONMENT AGENCY

15. Request the Environment Agency to consider carrying out random water sampling on beaches in winter due to the increase in winter sports during the off-season;

16. Thanet District Council work with the Environment Agency, other coastal Local Authorities, and partner organisations, to produce, agree and exercise a plan for marine & beach incident management response. This plan will provide a consistent framework for warning and informing people, businesses and others, with each organisation having a clearly defined set of remits and responsibilities.